


Burning at the Stake

by Nearchin



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M, Salem Witch Trails AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-01 00:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1038309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nearchin/pseuds/Nearchin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. Those who were were found guilty and accused of witchcraft were executed for their sin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Burning at the Stake

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nomtav](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Nomtav).



> This work is a gift to Tumblr user Nomtav.  
> Go give her some love, and I hope you enjoy the story~

_You are my sunshine_

_My only sunshine_

_You make me happy_

_When the skies are grey_

_You'll never know dear_

_How much I love you_

_So please don't take_

_My sunshine_

_Away_

A quavering exhale escaped my crude lips. _I’m in Hell_. A sea of devouring heat lies in front of me, the inferno blazing against the lumber stacked at my side. The embers developing into thick black smoke rising up to the heavens. I opened my burning eyes and looked up to flames in the sky.

“ _Penitence for your crime!”_ The sickening chant boomed in my ears, the faceless people repeating the words over and over again. _They didn’t stop_. _I wanted them to stop. Please stop. Stop saying this to me. Don’t hate me. Don’t burn me!_

_“Burn the witch! Burn him to dust!”_ They cheered circling the stack, the children by their sides pointing and laughing at my hollow expression. I cried louder, the tears gliding down my shaking figure. I was tied up to my eyes as the wood creaked against my back and the flames reach up with open arms.

I am drowning in their constant cheers, nonsense spewing out of their mouths.

Searing flames rise higher up my body, the fire scorching my exposed skin. The priest cried pointless verses at my jerking body, a bronze cross laced in between his palms.

_“Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God._ _Leviticus 19:31!”_ The priest exclaimed turning to the cheering people, a bible held firm in his hands.

_“There is nowhere to run now, May your impure body rot in the deepest pit of Hell!”_ The priest howled from the deepest pit of his stomach as the fire increased in size, hanging tightly to my skin. I shrieked, thrashing in any direction trying desperately to run away from my burning death.

_I’m not a witch. You lied to them you! You lied! You lied you filthy pig!_

_Tell me why! Someone tell me why this happening! I haven’t done a thing and you hate me! You want me to burn! You ungrateful, despicable, unruly fools!_ _Everything I had and everything I ever have known has been thrown again by you monsters!_

_“HELP ME! PLEASE STOP! LEVI! PLEASE STOP HIM! PLEASE! STOP HIM!”_

The world is blurred as the man I once knew slightly turned his head to the side and look at my withering face. His face was stone cold, no tears; no look of sadness in his blank eyes only a type of disgust. The man I once loved had no emotion; the love we once shared was gone replaced with a power loathing.

He turned his body around and looked into my eyes; a low tone came out of his parted lips, _“Burn the witch.”_

I cried out with a shrill scream, the flames shot out in an explosion of ash and charred wood. The flame fled across the open field, the loose embers landing on aged wooden houses. The flame caught the low handing branches from nearby aflame with bright orange light. The town’s people fled in all directions like unorganized field mice. The priest snarled up to my rattling body before curving around and running to help evacuate the people.

I dropped to my knees, the stack crumpling to individual pieces. My hands held onto my face, an expression of pure hatred donned my features.

_I did it again. I used it again. I said I would never do it again. I promised to myself!_

I clawed into my face; my breath ran in ragged motions as the town admits into a range of flames and blood boiling screams.

I eyes traveled up to a hunched figure standing above me, the crazed eyes of the man glistened in the blade placed at my throat. The man clenched the knife with shaking fingers, his tough licking the sides of his mouth.

_“You’re a monster.”_

_I know._

_“You should have never been born.”_

_I know._

_“You are the devil.”_

_I know._

_“And now you will pay.”_

The man pressed the blade to my throat, the warm liquid stained my chest. I awaited my death, I had nothing left, no one to call my own or love me. I waited, and waited, and waited even more.

I opened my eyes and was met with a shocking sight. The man staggered to his knees, a jagged sword punctured through his stomach. A pair of pale hands grabbed onto my body and through me onto their back in one swoop.

Before I could adjust my body to the sudden movement, the man took off running in the opposite direction of the village. The sound of marching feet echoed throughout the upcoming forest, the radiant light of lit torches shined on the dark forest floor. The man stopped behind a shadowed tree with a low grunt as he gently laid me on the ground. He didn’t turn to look at me as he pulled a ragged cloak out of his bag hanging from his side, the cloak showed clear signs of age on its tattered ends. The once bright gold trimmings were now a musky dark yellow.

He turned to me and slowly walked into the light of the hanging moon. _My breath is lost. Why did he do this? Why is he here? Why did he help me? He wanted me burned!_ My brain goes on overdrive trying to come up with reasons why he did this, trying to come up with the reasons he saved me.

I’m frozen in place as he cupped my cheeks with his hands and pulled me into a tight embrace. His chest slow moves up and down in a constant rhythm.

_“Eren listen.”_ He hummed into my ear with a dreadful smile.

_“I want you to wear this cloak and run. Run far away. Don’t ever come back.”_ He started taking a deep breath before continuing his speech.

_“I want you to live a peaceful life. I want you to grow old with a family. I will not be able to protect you any longer.”_ He said looking into my trembling eyes. I did not understand what he was saying. What did he mean when he said he can’t protect me anymore?

_“Levi what do you-“_ I was cut short with a pair of lips crashing into mine. He sucked at my bottom lip asking for permission for entrance, which I willingly complied with. I opened my lips and was greeted with a tongue scrapping across the roof of my mouth. The kiss was not forced and filled with lust, but a passionate display of love. He held onto me almost like if he let go he would slowly sink into a dark existence without any light.

He pulled away and gaze into my eyes, before he took off around the tree base and ran into the marching crowd of people.

I lay pressed up against the tree; the cries of distance chanting rang in my ears. _I didn’t want to look at the crowd._ I knew what was going on behind me, I knew what was happening to the man I cared so much for. I knew that he was slowly being yanked away to a stake hanging high in the sky. I knew what would happen to someone that conversed with a witch. But, I still didn’t want to think it.

I didn’t want leave, I wanted to save him and cradle him lovingly in my arms. But, my feet told me differently.

My feet lead me across the countryside, where I was alone.

My feet lead away from human life where I could never hurt anyone again. Where I could never form love for another being ever again.

It was all out of fear of my own pain. I never wanted to love again.   

I ran where I would rot away, lonely and by myself like I should be.

Forever without the love that I crave most, but was so afraid to have.

That is how I wanted to live the rest of my days.

 


End file.
